Houston's urban core is undergoing
gentrification at a rapid pace, a trend which corresponds with the experience
of the urban core of most major cities in America. However, few people are
willing to talk about, much less formulate ways to tackle the issue head on.
The issue of gentrification is not new, with earlier examples being traceable
to several generations before. At varying points in the history of American
cities dating back to the 1800’s, neighborhoods have undergone significant
gentrification as new immigrants displaced what were once neighborhoods
dominated by a prior group of immigrants. And in some cases, neighborhood
revitalization simply led to displacement of older residents within a
particular community.
Houston neighborhoods have a long and
familiar history with gentrification, which has often been characterized by the
flight of one ethnic group from one neighborhood to another. Take for example the
Riverside Terrace community at the southern edge of Houston’s Third Ward, which
was historically occupied by Jewish families, who later transitioned further
west to resettle in the area around Meyerland. The now predominantly Black
neighborhood is on the precipice of a significant shift in the racial makeup of
its residents, with an increasing number of non-Black residents seen walking
their dogs or pushing baby strollers along Brays Bayou and the Columbia Tap
Trail in the evening and on weekends .
The main drivers of the present day
gentrification, are however, arguably primarily geography and socioeconomic. In
several of Houston's urban core neighborhoods, what were once eclectic and
counter-cultural residents are being replaced by an invasion of the trendy
upwardly-mobile professional class. Take for example Montrose and the Museum
District, two neighborhoods which lie just within an earshot of downtown Houston. Both
communities for a longtime catered primarily to working class residents, young
people, and the creative artistic class. The impact of gentrification over the
last 15 years has left these neighborhoods, once characterized by traditional
ranch-style homes, duplexes, and small apartment complexes, with a smattering
of new mid and high-rise apartments, as well as luxury townhomes, condos, and
large magnificent single family homes. The older residents have not only been
displaced, but the new residential and commercial developments have left only
trace remnants of the neighborhood’s historical character visible.
The same fate that befell Montrose and the
Museum District, has similarly overtaken areas such as Upper Kirby, and the
historic Fourth and Sixth Wards. These once culturally distinct neighborhoods
are hardly reminiscent of their glorious pasts, as newer residents usher in a
new vibrance often characterized by an influx of trendy retailers, coffee shops,
white linen restaurants and flashy bars. The cat is out of the bag in these
areas, and their experiences foretell what lies ahead for some of the historic
neighborhoods now on the verge of tipping over namely Second Ward, Third Ward,
and Fifth Ward.
While the gentrification process has
commenced, it has yet to take full hold, and through carefully considered
policies, Houston can attenuate its impact in displacing long-term residents of
those endangered communities. The bevy of long-term solutions all point towards
permanent affordable housing development, and the Mayor’s Complete Communities
initiative is a step in the direction of securing long-term affordability in
the areas most at risk of gentrification. However, this strategy also holds the
potential of having the countereffect, wherein new infrastructural investments
in an area accelerate the pace of gentrification.
Due to its lack of zoning, Houston is able
to actively promote housing development in various areas of the city, and encourage partnership with and incentives for the private sector to develop
affordable housing units in greater number. The City could further streamline
the development process to enable such projects to be more feasible and
allowing them to be built faster. Examples of measures that would be beneficial
for delivering more affordable units include creating a fast-track permit for
projects, reducing parking requirements, and alleviating some of the burdensome
development requirements affordable housing developers have to meet that do not
apply to market rate developers. In addition to taking these steps, the City
has a tremendous opportunity to utilize Harvey Community Development Block
Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding from HUD to accelerate the pace of
affordable housing in the aforementioned "at-risk" communities and in
other areas of Houston facing tremendous housing price pressures.
Laolu
Davies-Yemitan is a real estate broker and developer who specializes in
housing, multifamily development, and urban revitalization. He editorializes on
issues related to affordable housing, real estate markets, and public policy. LaoluD.blogspot.com;
Twitter: @laoludavies
